(BD) Dhaka Zoo in trouble

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http://news./s/afp/20090911/sc_afp/bangladeshanimalzoo

 

Dead lion raises heat on scandal-hit Bangladesh zoo

 

Fri Sep 11, 4:18 pm ET

 

DHAKA (AFP) � The death of a lion has brought to 20 the number of animals to

have died in a Bangladesh zoo since the start of the year, leading to

condemnation from wildlife experts on Friday.

 

Bibekananda Chowdhury, acting chief zookeeper at Dhaka Zoo, confirmed to AFP

that a lion had died Thursday after haemorrhaging, while a Bengal tiger was

in a critical condition due to " old age " .

 

A giraffe died on Monday following the demise of a tiger, a zebra and a

tapir earlier in the year, with the total death toll now at 20, said a

government official, who did not want to be named.

 

The giraffe death prompted government officials to suspend the zoo's chief

and his deputy and to launch an enquiry, but wildlife experts said more

action was needed.

 

Wildlife Trust of Bangladesh chief Professor Anwarul Islam said the zoo

authorities lacked wildlife expertise to care for the animals.

 

" They don't have a wildlife biologist and the veterinarian cannot properly

maintain the zoo. The zoo is for wildlife, not livestock, " he said.

 

Niaz Ahmed Khan, of the International Union for Conservation of

Nature(IUCN), said the high number of deaths was a " concern " and

called for

government action to save the animals.

 

Last year the zoo spent 800,000 dollars bringing 38 animals, including the

three-year-old giraffe, from South Africa.